Elsberg



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

'E. W. BRAOKELSBERG.

TYPE SETTING AND DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS. No. 253,153. PatentedJan. 31,1882.

Wfnessw (No Model.)

' 4 Sheets-Sheet E. W. BRAGKELSBERG.

TYPE SETTING AND DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS.

Patented Jan. 31,1882...

Fig.2.

ll I! b a Mull-RIDE mum lalFI 1 1 m m ('No Model.) v 4 Sheets-sheaf 3.

E. W.'BRAOKELSBERG.

TYPE SETTING AND DISTRIBUTING- APPARATUS. .NO. 253.153

Pate nted Jan. 31

C D m g m m w m m g h u a M H S H L z p N NIT-ED STATES PATENT '0 FFICE.

ERNST W. BRAOKELSBERG, OF HAGEN, WESTPHALIA, PRUSSIA, GERMANY.

TYPE SETTING AND DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 253,153, dated January 31, 1882.

Application filed July 12, 1851. (No model.) Patented in England April 16, 1881, in France April 16, 1881, in Germany April 17, lSi'l, in Belgium April 19, lBSl, in Austria-Hungary June 24, 1881, and in Italy June 30, 1881.

To all whom it may concern Be itknown that I, ERNsT WILHELM BRAoK- ELsBERG,residentin Hagenflvestplialia,Kingdom of Prussia, Germany,haveinvented a new 5 and useful Improved Type Setting and DistributingApparatus, (for which Letters Patent have been applied for in Germany,GreatBritain, and France on the 16th of April ,1S81,and inBelgium on the 19th of April, 1381,)of which E the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a type-setting and type-distributingapparatus of a simpler and therefore more reliable arrangcmenttha'u those hitherto executed. The same is represented on the annexed four sheets of drawings.

\ Figurel isaside viewin which thet'rontplates of the difi'erent guides are supposed to have been taken off for thepurposeof Showingmore distinctlythe parts which they cover. The sta- 2o tionary part of. the apparatus is in section. Fig. 2 is a projection of the apparatus on a plane parallel to the inclined type-case,partly in section. Fig.3 is a side view of the type setting or composing mechanism,with portion of a typechannel. The movable parts arein this figure in a position different from Fig. 1. Fig.4is a horizontal section of the composing mechanism on line 3 4,Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a front view, and Fig. Ga backview,ofthesamemechanism,with movable 0 parts corresponding in position to Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is avertical section on line 5 6, Fig. 3, with a front view of the type-channels, the plate 0 of which is removed. Fig.8 is a section on line12, Fig.3. Figs.9 andlO are side views of the typedistributing mechanism,themovable parts being represented in positions differingfrom each other and from their position in Fig. 1. As in the latter figure, all front plates of the guides have been left awayin these figures audiu Fig. 3. Their place is, however, shown by the holes for the screws by which they are to be fast ened. Fig.11isasection online910,Fig.9. Fig. 12 is asection on line 1112, Fig. 10. Fig. 13 is a front view, and Fig.14 a back view, ofthe distributing mechanism, the movable parts being in the same position asin Fig. 1.. Fig. 15 isa section on line 7 8,Fig.9. Fig. 16 is a section on line 13 14, Fig. 9. Fig. 17 is a view of the holding-down bar to. Figs. 18 and 19 are side views of a tributer.

The apparatus comprises threema-in parts first, the type'case D, Fig. 2, fixed in an inclined position on the table or frameA; secoudly,the setting or composing mechanism B, (henceforth to be called the composer,) and, thirdly,t-he distributing mechanism or distributer O.

The type-caseDconsists of a number of parallel channels or grooves, Z, each containing a single row of types of the same denomination. On account of the inclination given to the typecase the types have a tendency to slide downward in the channels I). The front type of each row is thus pressed by the superincumbent types and by a follower, j, against the plate 0, which closes the channels b in front. The bottom of each channel has an aperture, 2', atits front or lower end corresponding in size to the thickness of the type. (See Figs. 1 and 7.) The said apertures may be formed by notches cut into a ledge,f, which can be exchanged for another such ledge having notches of different depth. This arrangement allows the apparatus to be employed for setting types of differout width, as the only alteration required in such case is to make the depth of the apertures 'i correspond to the width of the types. Across the top of the front end of the typechannels a loose bar, It, is placed,which serves to hold down the types. Between this bar and the projecting edge of the plate or wall c there is a narrow slit.

The setting mechanism or composer B is a device which is movable on guides at a right angle to and in front of the type'channels, so that it may be brought opposite to any one of these channels for the purpose of ejecting a type into the composing-race which is fixed to it. The said mechanism consists, in the first place, of an ejector-bar, t, suitably guided in a direction parallel to the types contained in the type-case, and drawn upward by a spring, a. At its lower end, and in a line with the front type of any row, the bar t carries the 5 tongue or ejector Z, by which the types are pushed downward into the composing-race r. The types dropping into this race are prevented from falling on their side by means of a sliderest, I, provided with a spring, which, by press ing against the side wall of the race, causes a certain frictional resistance. Any type transferred into the composing-race is pushed forward, together with those transferred previously, by means of the typedriver a, projecting into the race from the rear. This type-driver is actuated by the rod t by means of its inclined surface a, and of the lever to, whose lower end engages in a notch cut into the arm a, fixed to the driver, and slidingin a suitable guide. (See Fig. 4.)

f is a spring, which, by acting on the arm 6, draws the driver into the composing-race, and which consequently also presses the top end of the lever a against the hart. The spring j" maybe omitted in case the bar t is provided, for instance, with a slit of suitable form, in which a pin engages which is fixed to the lever. For moving the driver in the required manner by the bar t other arrangements might, however, also be employed.

The rear part, y, of the typedriver serves, in cooperation with the vertical grooves m arranged beneath the type-channels, for correcting the position of the composer-4'. 0., for exactlyshiftingitinto its place after this has been done approximatively by hand. For the said purpose the rear end of the party, which is to be called the adjuster, is chamt'ered on both sides, as are also the projecting ledges between the grooves m. Instead ofthe grooves holes widened out conically at the front end might also be employed, in which case the adjuster would have to consist of a pointed pin fitting into the said holes.

The composer is fixed on a bar, 12, guided between two ledges,n,or inother suitable manner, and provided with a knob, k, and a pointer, q. Opposite to the course of the latter there is a register, 0, ot' the types contained in the channels 0, and the arrangement is so made that when the pointer q is on the center of any letter or other character of the register the composing-race r will be exactly below the one of the channels I) which contains the types corresponding to such letter or character. At the same time the ejector l is exactly above the front type within the said channel.

The operation of this part of the apparatus is as follows: The slide-rest l in the composing-race having been pushed close to the d river a, the composer B is so shifted by hand and by aid of the knob k that its pointer q is brought on, or nearly on, the line indicating the center of the letter, &c., having the denomination of the type to be set. The ejectorbar is then depressed and allowed to ascend again. The type is thereby transferred into the composing-race 1'. When the bar tbegins to descend its inclined surface c acts on the lever a, which consequently pushes the driver at backward, whereby a space for a type is produced in the race 1'. Simultaneously the ad juster 3 at the rear end of the type-driver en ters into the groove m which is opposite to it at the time being, and, supposing the true position of the composer not to have been fully attained by hand, the adjuster, when entering into the groove, shifts the composer precisely into its proper place, so that the top end of the composing-race r is brought exactly under the channel I) which contains the required type. The adjuster having completely entered into the groove m keeps the composer locked during the remaining part of the operation. The bar t descending farther, the ejector l fixed to t enters into the slit between the front wall, 0, of the type case and the holding-down bar k, and thereupon pushes the front type from the channel b into the com posi n g-race r. The wall 0 and the bar k are beveled at their opposite upper edges, so that the ejector may easily enter into the slit between the same. At the point where the type drops into the composing-race the edges of the side walls of the latter are also beveled. It may yet be observed that the bar only rests by its weight (to which the tension of a spring may be added) on the typechannels, so that it can give way toward the rear in case the ejector should press against it. The ejector-bar thaving been released,the spring to draws it upward, together with the ejector. During this motion of the latter the type which is now in front of the row, and which is pressed against the ejector, is prevented from being drawn along by the same by means of the bar k. During the latter part of the ascending motion of the bar t the driver as acts by the force of the springf' on the type which has been deposited and pushes it forward, together with the slide-rest l, by a distance equal to its thickness. Atthe same time the adjuster y recedes from the groove 112, so that the composer may be shifted again. The ejector having left the channel b, the row of types contained therein, and which is impelled by its own weight and by the weight of the followerj, slides forward on the inclined bottom of the channel and again presses the front type against the wall 0. The relative effect of the followerj increases as the number of types in the row becomes smaller.

For thepurpose ofmakiug the drawings more comprehensible the bar thas been represented as being provided with a knobat its upper end. It is, however, the intention of the inventor to depress this bar by means of another bar arranged above the former and parallel to the guides n, and to which a vertical reciprocating motion is to be imparted, either by hand or by means of a treadle.

By the successive adjustments of the composer according to the letters of the manuscript, and by the repeated depression of the ejector-bar, the required types are deposited in the composing-race in a line, which is thereupon removed by hand and united with the lines composed previously.

The distributing of types is eifected by the distributor C, in co-operation with certain arran gements at the upper or rear end of the typecase. (See Figs. 1, 2, and 9 to 17.)

To the upper end of the type-channels b a cross-bar, m, is fixed, provided with notches, which correspond in position with the channels I), and in size with the types contained therein. This bar may be exchanged for another one having notches of different depth when types of other thickness are to be distributed. In each type-channel there is a slide'rest, l, similar to the one described with regard to the composing-race 1', and which, by its friction against the walls of the channel, keeps the type in upright position and prevents them from sliding. These slide-rests reach with their end nearly to the bar m, when they are pushed with their shoulder against the bar 0. Near the upper edge of the frame A are arranged the guides 19, between or on which the distributer slides. q is a register of the different types, which corresponds in the same manner with the channels I) as the register 0.

The distributercomprises principally the distributing-race t, for the reception of the line or lines to be decomposed, and the mechanism which, after having corrected the position of the distributer, transfers the front type from the race t into the corresponding type-channel b. The distributer is fixed to a bar, 4, provided at its other end with a pointer, is, which is in the same relation to the distributing-race t as the pointer q is to the composing-racethat is to say, when the pointer s is adjusted on a certain character of the registerq the race t isin a plane with theone ot'thechannelsb which contains the types corresponding in denomination with the said character. The distributingrace, however, travels with its fore end above the type-channels, while the composing-race projects under them.

The operating parts of the distributer comprise, in the first place, the ejector-bar a, the holding-down bar to, and the bar or, by which motion is imparted to the other movable parts. These three bars are placed by the side ofeach other in a common guide, (see Fig. 15,) and they move in a direction parallel to the types. The bar .70 is drawn upward by a spring, 2 To the lower end of the bar a the ejector a is so fixed that it is in a line with the front type contained in the distributing-race t. The said bar a is connected with the bar as by the spring D which tends to draw a downward relatively to m; but the action of this spring is limited by the contact of the projection z of the bar a with the projection a of the bar or. In a similar manner the bar 20 is connected with the bar a." by the spring 0 which draws the former downward in respect to w, the motion being in this case limited .by a pin, d screwed into bar a, and by the length of the slit c 'cut into the bar 20, the said pin projecting into this slit. Other equivalent arrangements for limiting the motion of the bars to and to may, however, be employed.

In the lower part of the distributer the bar m is placed, which serves as adjuster for correcting the position of the distributer, and also as driver for the types transferred mto the channels b. When the bar 00 is depressed the said bar at is moved forward in two steps by the two inclined surfaces 2' and k provided for on the back of the bar or, and by the medium of the lever f which engages with its lower end in a notch cut into a lateral projection of the bar m (See Figs. 9, 10, 11,12, and 16.) The bar or being released, the spring 2 draws it upward, while the spring 0 returns the bar in and the leverf into their normal position.

The distributing-race is closed in front by the part 11, carrying a transverse piec r serving to close the front of the notch a of the bar m, through Which a type is to be pushed.

The bottom of the distributing-race is open at the front end, and the types are here .supported by the aforesaid bar at, which thus forms a continuation of the bottom of t. One

or more lines to be distributed having been put into the race t, the follower v is inserted, which, being impelled forward by th spring 20 presses the types against the front walk v, of the race. Instead of this spring-follower a weight might, however, be. employed, as in the type-channels b. The slide-rests l in the channels Z) are then all pushed with their shoulder against the bar 0, whereby they are brought in the position proper for supporting the first type transferred from thedistributing-race into any channel b. Hereupon the apparatus is so shifted that the pointer 8 points approximatively on the center of the letter of the registrr g which corresponds with the first type to be deposited, and finally the bar 00 is depressed and released again. The effect hereof is as follows: During the first period of the downward motion ofw' the inclined surface i acting on. the lever f causes the bar at to be shifted forward and to enter into the corresponding type-channel. The fore end of the bir and the rear end of the pariitirni-walls between IlO the channels I) being beveled on both sides,

(see Fig. 11,) the described motion producesa correction of the position of the distributer in every ca e in which it has n t been adjusted accurately by hand. After the correction the race it will consequently be truly above the channel I). dotted lines, and Fig. 11.) descend in the first period by as much as w. During the second period of themotion the straight surface j of the bar 00 slides along the end of theleverf The lever and the bar m will consequently remain at rest. The two bars a and 20, however, descend farther with the bar .70. The holding-down bar is pressed by the tension of the spring 6 with its projection 01 Fig. 17, against the top of the walls of the race t, so that its foot 0 does not touch the types. The bar a, on the other hand, causes the ejector a fixed thereto to press against the type which is below the same, and to push it by the tension of the spring I) through the (See Fig. 9 with position of m in The bars a andw I notch n into the type-channel 0. (See Figs.9 and 11.) The bar a finally strikes against the foot 0 of the bar 10, whereby its motion is stopped. In the third period the harm completes its downward course against the strain of the springs e and 11 (which are forced to expand on account of the stoppage of a and 20 and in acting by its inclined surface and by the medium of the lever f on the bar m it pushes the same farther into the channel I). The bar at for its part drives the deposited type and the slide-rest 1 forward by the thickness of the type, for the purpose of producing the necessary space for the following type. (See Figs. 10 and 12.) The bar m thus moves forward in two steps having an interval between them, in which the type is tranferred from the channel b to the race t. The stroke of the bar :20 is limited by a screw, b, striking against the edge of the race t.

The arrangement of the mechanism serving to impart motion to the bar in by the bar may be varied in a similar manner as has been stated with regard to the analogous mechanism of the composer.

During the upward motion of the bar as, produced by the spring .2 the bar m is first drawn backward by the amount of its second forward motion. This may be effected by the spring 0 attached to m. The projection a on the bar a." thereupon striking against the projection z of the bar a, the latter is forced to follow the bar 00, and'the ejector a is withdrawn from the race t. \Vhile receding the ejector is, however, prevented by the foot 0 ofthe holding-down bar w from drawing along with it the following type, in case the same should adhere to the ejector. The said holding-down bar to may also be combined with the composer B, instead of making use of the bar k, Fig. 1. The bars 00 and u going back farther, the pin (1 fixed in the bar u, lifts the bar 20 when it arrives at the upper end of the slit c, or by striking against any shoulder of w. The pin (1 mightalso be screwed into the bar 00. Finally, the bars 00, u, and 10 complete their upward movement while the bar in recedes from the channel I), so that the distributer, which up to this moment had been locked, may be shifted again.

The bar .12 may be operated by hand or by a treadle in the same manner as has been mentioned to the composer.

After the types have been distributed by repetitions of the described manipulation the operator causes them to slide into the lower part of the type-channels, so that they may again be disposed of by the composer.

For the purpose of facilitating the reading of the types to be distributed it is advantageous to make the distributingrace only ofsuch depth that the types will slightly project out of the same; but to prevent the foot 0 of the holding-down bar 10 from hearing on the types under these circumstances this bar is provided with the projections 61?, which bearagainst the top edges of the race, as has been described above.

Figs. 18 and 19 show a modification of the distributingrace. The barmisin this case omitted, whilethe fore part of the bottom of the race is made of atlat spring, a", which is especially flexible at its free end,so that when the ejector presses on the front type it will bend and allow the type to pass. The other types supported by the spring descend atthe same time by the amount of the curvature of the latter; but when the ejector recedes the spring, in resuming its straight form, lifts them again and recloses the aperture through which the front type had been ejected. This arrangement may also be applied to the bottom of the type-channels.

In respect to the length of the type-channels I), it is to be observed that in a working apparatus this length has to be much greater than shown in the drawings. The composing apparatus and the distributing apparatus will consequently be at such a distance from each each other that the person operating the apparatus will have to stand between the two guides or and 1). Two men may consequently be engaged at the apparatus sim ultaneously one for setting, the other for distributin".

By any apparatus of this kind it is possible to set and distribute types of different width or thickness, provided that their weight of body be the same. The only-alteration required for types of other width consists in the substitution for the barsf and m of other bars having notches of the proper size. The composer B or the distribute! O of my apparatus may be used on another apparatus adapted for types of the same height of body. It is therefore possible to set types of different character by the same composer, it being only necessary for this purpose to take the composer from one apparatus to the other one containing the required types.

It barely requires to be mentioned that the composing apparatus may be constructed entirely separate from the distributing apparatus.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with the setting mechanism or composer B, containing the ejectorbar 2, with ejector 1, spring u, and composing race 0", of the type-driver w and the adjuster y, co-operating with the vertical grooves m, or their specified equivalent, together with mechanism, substantially as described, for imparting the required reciprocating motion to the driver 00 and the adjuster y by the downward motion of the bar t, as and for the purpose specified.

2. A type-distributing apparatus consisting, first, of a number of type-channels, b, and of a register, q, corresponding with these channels; and, secondly, of the distributing mechanism or distributer O, guided in a suitable manner, and movable transversely to and in the rear of the channels I), this distributer comprising the bar 00, to be depressed by hand or by the footand drawn upward by the spring 2 the ejector-bar u, having the ejector n attached to it, and connected by a spring, 12 with the bar or, the holding-down bar to, connected with the bar 00 by a spring, 0 the distributing-race t, projecting with its front end above the channels I), and the pointer 8,

whose distance from the distributing-race is equal to the distance between any typechannel and the corresponding point of the register q, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the distributing mechanism 0, containing the bars w, u, and w, ejector n springs 2, b and c and the distributing-race t, of the bar m serving as type- ,dI'iVGl and as adjuster, and operated by the inclined surfaces 7: and '5 on the bar w, together with the lever f and spring 0 as and for the purpose specified.

4. The type-containing race or channel, having the front portion of its bottom formed ofa spring, a, in combination with the typeejecting mechanism, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

5. The combination, with the bars m,u, and w and the springs b and e", of the projections or stops z and a on the bars to and a2 respectively, and the projection or pin 6?, fixed to-the bar as or u, and acting against a shoulder or other suitable part of the bar 20, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERNST WILHELM BRACKELSBERG.

Witnesses:

WILHELM BRACKELSBERG, Sn, HUGO BRACKELSBERG,

Both of Hagen. 

